September 2014

Rumour has it Apple are simultaneously working on iOS 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3, with upticks in visits for each of the browsers over at 9to5Mac supporting the theory. All point updates will include currently unknown new features, they report. As proof they’re not sitting on their hands over in Cupertino, Apple has released the first beta of iOS 8.1 to developers which includes support for Apple Pay.

After Apple released a statement saying just nine customers had complained about the iPhone 6 bending problem, they let a few tech journos into their facility for testing iPhone durability. The Verge writes that some of the tests can be considered “torture tests” which test the strength of Apple’s products, but many are also testing for real-world stress scenarios, attempting to determine if a particular product will fail when pressure is applied in a particular way, for example. If you like photos of automated equipment poking, pressing, and twisting iPhones, then there’s a treasure trove just after the jump. Meanwhile, Consumer Reports has done its own independent testing, putting the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 series of devices up against competing Android smartphones. While the phones aren’t indestructible, Consumer Reports found that all iPhones performed better than Apple’s specs when tested against the three-point bend test.

As rumours of a larger “iPad Pro” surface once again, MacRumors reports it will include a more powerful A8X processor, a version of the A8 currently found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with improved graphics capabilities in order to power all those pixels. A separate rumour claims a Mac Mini refresh is imminent, possibly to be released alongside the updated iPads sometime in October.

Apple’s iOS 8.0.1 fumble yesterday was serious enough for them to release a support article on the issue, detailing the loss of cellular service and/or ability to use Touch ID. Per previous recommendations, the official advice from Apple is to restore back to iOS 8.0 using the appropriate IPSW files for your device.

Living in Australia sometimes means we miss out on the coolest stuff. Like this morning’s iOS 8.0.1 update, which dropped and contained fixes for third-party keyboards and re-introduced HealthKit as an official feature. The update was promptly pulled after reports of “no service” and broken Touch ID, with many users unable to receive or make calls. Restoring back to iOS 8.0 reportedly fixes the issue, if you were unlucky enough to update your device before Apple pulled it. Speculation says Apple will re-release the update as soon as later today.

Rumours have it the next-generation iPad Air for a launch sometime in October. The new comes via the Commercial Times, and while specific dates have been ruled out, there are still 30 other days in the month Apple could hold the event. Likely changes to the iPad Air include the addition of Touch ID, a thinner design, Apple’s A8 SoC, and a better camera.

According to Apple, 46% of devices that visited the App Store a few days ago were running iOS 8. That is a seriously good adoption rate, most likely thanks to OTA updates and a large range of devices being eligible for the update. For comparative purposes, 49% of devices were running iOS 7, with just 5% running something earlier.

When Phil Schiller stepped on stage and showed the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to the world, I was ready. I had been using an Android smartphone for the past few months, and while it wasn’t downright horrible, I missed a lot of the iOS experience: the apps, the simplicity, and all the new features coming as part of iOS 8. An iPhone with a slightly larger screen than previous iPhones was exactly what was rumoured, announced, and now, it’s my favourite iPhone, ever. This is AppleTalk’s review of the iPhone 6.

10 million. That’s how many iPhone 6 units Apple sold in the first weekend of sales, setting a new record. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the press release sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded expectations, thanking customers for the “best launch ever”. MacStories has a few graphs to put the numbers in context to previous years.

A report from TechCrunch earlier this morning claimed Apple would be shutting Beats Music down, taking with it the streaming music service and mobile apps. Re/code later debunked the rumour with a statement from an Apple spokesperson saying that the report was “not true”. Ars Technica’s take on all this is that changes will be coming to Beats in the future, and Apple will continue to evolve the brand over time as it sees fit.

Everyone knows how good the camera in the iPhone is. A review of the iPhone 6 Plus camera in Iceland shows off just how good it actually is, looking at the difference focus pixels make, how useful exposure control is. Austin Mann explored the dynamic range, panorama mode, and new video features and concluded that yes, the iPhone 6 Plus does have an incredibly impressive camera.

There’s basically one of two reasons you’re reading this right now: either you already have your new iPhone, or you’re waiting, feverishly, for a nice man in a truck to pull up outside your house and deliver it into your waiting hands. Happy new iPhone day, people.

Somewhat weirdly, Apple themselves have put up a guide on moving content from your Android phone to your iPhone. The support article covers the basics like Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, Photos and Videos, as well as other media content.

If you’re still working your way around all the changes in iOS 8, the Apple website is a great source of information on the matter. Photos and Messages are some of the headlining changes in iOS 8, but there’s plenty of features that you’ll notice elsewhere too, like swipe gestures in Mail, viewing the source of webpages in Mobile Safari, and much, much more.

Apple released iOS 8 to the masses earlier this morning, and since this is the largest update since the App Store, there’s plenty of news this morning regarding iOS 8 itself and the changes it brings to the app ecosystem. Let’s get started.

First up is a review from iMore, who have a huge piece on every possible aspect of Apple’s mobile OS. There’s more screenshots than anyone could ever want, and it’s extremely comprehensive. Ars Technica have a similar review, but go on to talk about what iOS 8 performance is like on older devices. Specifically, the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, answering the questions you have about how iOS 8 runs on the oldest non-Retina device and smallest-screened iPhone, respectively.